you would save it and I would see it photo shopped for years.

Where are you setting lines? I rarely had gar issues and only caught a few over the years. I always set the main channel in current, targeting the heads of holes and eddies on the downside of bends or bridges. Dropoffs along submerged bluffs were a good spot for blues.
I've always assumed it was the current as I'd regularly see the gar stacked up like firewood in the slackwater sloughs of the main river. Our's were mostly spotted with some longnose.

… no sir I would not

25 was about my average depth but it could be as shallow as 12 as that was the minimum channel depth. My river was so narrow in places that a passing barge would suck the water out from under the boat and leave you sitting on mud, if you were near the bank, until it passed and the water returned.

There were 50+ holes in my stretch but I never had much luck that deep.

Savell, I’d like to use circle hooks but I can’t find any that have big enough eyes to fit the line through. I use circles on my regular fishing rods.
Thought I’d came up with a good idea last night.. putting some chicken gizzards on the hook… I just shook my head this morning,, because even the gizzards were stripped.. I’m beginning to think it’s Mob action going on…
Gar and little turtles ganging up and having a feast

Try fishing different waters.

what size hooks do you like 5/0 6/0 7/0 ?

Gamagatsu makes a large eye circle hook line

https://gamakatsu.com/product/circle-hooks-big-eye/

I bet you could find some here...
https://www.memphisnet.net/

Did you get it figured out ?

I used to help an old timer commercial fish the Mississippi and rock river but by the time I started helping him he was only using trammel and hoop nets. He told me his best baits for running trot lines was coagulated cows blood and grasshoppers. He had a setup that attached to the corner of the front bumper of his truck and would drive down backroads and fill it with grasshoppers

Used to save the blood when we butchered on the farm and put on trot lines.we would hang them between 2 trees put the blood on the hooks and let dry until they were rock hard used to catch alot of catfish doing that.